The Storyteller
by Eva Sirico
Summary: Avery, avid storyteller and enthusiastic adventurer, finds herself no longer in her time after an accident, but instead in the world of Ciel Phantomhive and his mysterious butler, Sebastian. Hired as a maid, she turns their already-unsteady world upside-down in an adventure full of humor, stories, and – gasp – romance? SebastianxOC


**Disclaimer: I do not own Black Butler**

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~Chapter 1~

"'You're a part time lover and a full time friend / the monkey on your back is the latest trend / I don't see what anyone can see in anyone else...but you~," I sang as I balanced on the rock wall. Grasses grew in between the cracks and bits of loose rocks were scattered around, but I navigated easily around them, placing one foot in front of the other.

"Avery! Come on!" my mother called, waving to me. "You're going to be left behind!"

"I'll be there in a second," I replied, hopping down off the rock wall and following the group into another part of the castle. I didn't remember its name, but it was cool. Dark, creepy tunnels, different winding stairways, and long corridors were only some of the things that made it up. I was eager to explore every part of it, but to my disappointment some areas were closed off for construction.

The tour guide blabbed on and on about different tapestries that hung on the walls while I stood in the back with my younger cousin, Brady. He had turned seven the previous week, but considered himself knowledgeable in every sense.

I leaned down to him and whispered, "Did you hear about the mad axe man that haunts this place?" His eyes wide, Brady shook his head and stared up at me expectantly. Crouching down next to him, I murmured, "So a long time ago, there was this executioner-"

"For the bad people?" Brady asked in a hushed tone.

I nodded. "Yes, for the bad people that used to steal and kill people."

"_Kill _people?!"

I quickly hushed him and continued on with my story. "Well, one day, the darkness entered his mind and made him go crazy. So, in this very same castle, he _killed _everyone...with an axe that he used to use for the executions."

Brady's eyes were round as he solemnly whispered, with hints of fear, "What happened next?"

"A valiant warrior," I continued, "fought the axe murderer and killed him. However, the axe murderer still haunts this castle...and he'll _kill anyone who enters it._"

The next moment couldn't have been planned better. My uncle walked up behind my cousin Brady and put his hand on his shoulder. Brady panicked and flailed his arms. "THE AXE MURDERER! HE'S GONNA GET ME! AVERY, HELP!"

Everyone in our group looked back, and the tour guide paused in her lecture. My uncle, surprised, lifted his hand while Brady grabbed me in a hug, sobbing into my shirt. With a nervous grin, I looked up to see very miffed family. "Errr...not me?"

While my aunt took over in consoling Brady, my mother pulled me aside. The tour guide went back to her lecture, and all attention was trained on her again, while I stood with my mother at the mouth of the tunnel.

My mother was a rather small woman with dark hair, streaked with grey, and tired eyes. I still remembered a time when they sparkled and laughed, but not lately. She rubbed her face. "Avery, why? Why do you have to tell your stories, and why did you scare your cousin?"

"To be fair, it was Uncle Dave that scared him," I pointed out. "I only provided him something to be scared of."

My mother pinched the bridge of her nose. "Avery, not now. Please. No stories, and no exploring. Can't you just do that for me, for one day?"

My mother and I never really understood each other. Sure, we did all the girly things that mothers and daughters were supposed to do, but in personality and in looks I took after my late father. I watched as she rejoined the group and forced a smile for her sister, Aunt Ginny.

Sighing, I watched as the tour group moved another tapestry that hung across the hall. Guessing that they would be a while, I leaned against the tunnel opening. The tunnel seemed to beckon to me, _begging _for me to explore. Tempted, I looked back at the opening before glancing back at the tour group.

My decision made, I snuck down the tunnel, switching on my flashlight. My converse sneakers slapped loudly against the stone tiles, and I glanced back at the opening for a split second. In that moment, my foot smacked against a random rock, and I felt myself start to fall.

A blinding light engulfed my vision before everything went black.

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A/N

First chapter! :) Please review!

~Eva Sirico~


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